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5 Pros 5 star safety 5 year warranty (class leading) 5 years free service and roadside assistance Actually looks ok, decent interior space and a big boot One of the cheapest in its class (and very cheap compared to rivals such as the Mazda 6, Suzuki Kizashi or Volkswagen Jetta) 5 Cons Despite being a long term Malaysian brand, most people will think that you have bought one of those new Chinese cars Waiting room slow Poor fuel efficiency unlike most slightly […]

5 Pros Hybrid fuel efficiency (although a Volkswagen Golf Bluemotion is better) The Insight takes regular unleaded, unlike many other hybrid vehicles such as the Toyota Prius 5 out of 5 star safety and it is built in Japan by Honda so it should be reliable Pretty decent boot Looks are at least not boring 5 Cons The Toyota Prius C is now a much cheaper hybrid Not really for corners (or fun…) Tight rear seat space Reports that it suffers from […]

5 Pros The Honda Civic Sedan has a 5 out of 5 star safety rating The hybrid version is very fuel efficient (if expensive) and most of the other models are pretty small drinkers Not too bad around corners (but this is no sports car) Big boot in most versions and the interior space is pretty good (although rear headroom can get a little tight) Honda reliability (although this model is built in Thailand not Japan) 5 Cons The 1.8L engine has […]

5 Pros The Subaru Impreza is the only small car to offer All Wheel Drive across the range Much improved fuel efficiency (but still not as good as a Volkswagen Golf, Ford Focus or Mazda 3 Skyactiv) 5 out of 5 star safety Nice enough cabin (although not best in class and there are still some ergonomic issues such as pedal placement) Very comfortable and quiet ride 5 Cons About as exciting as a used firecracker No entry level $20k bargain version […]

5 Pros The Citroen C3 gives you your entry ticket into European motoring (although of course so does the cheaper Volkswagen Golf…) Somewhat stylish looks with a very fancy windscreen that goes over the top of your head 5 out of 5 star safety Good fuel efficiency (the diesel is incredible) Nice interior 5 Cons Poor around corners (especially compared to the much cheaper Ford Fiesta, Volkswagen Polo and Mazda 2) The Citroen DS3 looks so much better Slow Tight rear seat […]

5 Pros One of the cheapest cars in Australia and it has a five year warranty (making it definitely worth a look) Incredibly fuel efficient engine matches the similarly priced Suzuki Alto Decent interior space with an ok boot for this class (but no where near as good as the Honda Jazz) Easy to drive in town with a tight turning circle 4 Year / 60,000km capped priced servicing and a 5 out of 5 star safety rating 5 Cons Design is very feminine… […]

5 Pros The Nissan Pulsar has a massive boot and heaps of interior space. Practicality is the main seller here The ride is quite comfortable Quiet cabin They have dropped the Tiida name, one of the most unpopular in Australian motoring 5 out of 5 stars for safety 5 Cons Fuel efficiency is far from class leading (the Ford Focus, Mazda 3 Skyactiv and Hyundai i30 are better) No brand appeal No folding rear seat undoes much of the good work done by the large […]

5 Pros Terrific dynamics are one of the main reasons the Volkswagen Polo has won the Drive car of the year award for this segment three years in a row The 77TSI engine provides excellent fuel efficiency and performance 5 out of 5 star safety Nice interior with heaps of space Volkswagen badge prestige, perfect for that inner snob 5 Cons Built in South Africa. Previous Volkswagen’s built here had a very poor reliability record and in Australia VW is known for high service […]

5 Pros The Toyota Prius C is one of the most fuel efficient vehicles currently on sale in Australia (and it also happens to be the cheapest hybrid as well) Surprisingly good performance from the engine Decent interior and boot space All models are well equipped (and a reversing camera is standard across the range) Ability to take the moral high ground 5 Cons The Mini Cooper D is more fuel efficient (although also more expensive) Not the most fun car to drive […]

A shame Citroen did not make a new version of this commercial 5 Pros One of the cheapest European small cars you can buy. The Citroen C4 is your winning entry into carpark snobbery The interior is beautiful and worthy of the European badge (the exterior is not too bad either) Plenty of rear seat space and one of the biggest boots in the class Reasonably fuel efficient engines (and the diesel is terrific) 5 out of 5 star safety 5 […]

5 Pros The all wheel drive version of the Suzuki SX4 is the cheapest car you can get with at least some sort of off road ability Pretty good fuel efficiency (but not as good as some other SUV’s like the Mazda CX-5 and Volkswagen Tiguan) New CVT transmission improves the performance of the engine Cruise control and bluetooth now standard across the range Relatively tight turning circle 5 Cons 4 out of 5 star safety (although it has not been […]

5 Pros The Hyundai Accent gives you the ability to buy pretty much the cheapest diesel small car on the market (although the Volkswagen Polo and Ford Fiesta are not that much more expensive) [Update: As pointed out by Chris in the comments, Hyundai will no longer be importing this model so remaining stocks (if any) are likely to be limited] 5 year warranty Big boot for this class Built in Korea (unlike the similarly priced Hyundai i20 which is […]

5 Pros The Opel Astra adds European badge value to your garage Decent interior space and boot (which is even better in the wagon version) Impressive fuel efficient engines across the range with ok performance in this class (small cars) Decent cabin worthy of the European heritage (although it is a bit over complicated) 5 out of 5 star safety 5 Cons More expensive than similar offerings such as the Ford Focus, Hyundai i30, Mazda 3 and Volkswagen Golf Not the most […]

5 Pros European badge value (sought of…) The 3 door is built in Germany (although the 5 door is built in Spain) 5 out of 5 star safety Decent interior space Competitive fuel efficiency 5 Cons Can’t get to sleep slow New model due soon Cheapish interior (with manual wind up windows for rear passengers) More expensive than many of its excellent competitors such as the Honda Jazz, Ford Fiesta, Mazda 2 and Volkswagen Polo Far from the best around corners […]

5 Pros The cheapest new car in Australia at under $10k driveaway It does not look horrible Takes 91 unleaded 3 year warranty (thank god…) Standard alloy wheels 5 Cons 3 out of 5 star ANCAP safety rating. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, ANCAP recommends that you do not buy cars with a safety rating below 4. Apparently some insurance companies will not insure them either You cannot buy this car in some states as it does not have mandatory stability […]

5 Pros Terrific interior. The Volkswagen Golf sets a new standard for this class The new engines see the Golf set some amazing records for fuel efficiency in this class (or any class really) Comfortable to drive and very good around corners (although maybe not as good as the Ford Focus) Lots of interior space and a very decent boot 5 out of 5 star safety and there are some new very clever new systems that will help you avoid accidents by […]

5 Pros The Nissan Almera has a big boot for this class with very good rear leg room (but poor headroom) Quite cheap for the size Ride is ok Claimed fuel economy is pretty good It has 6 cupholders… 5 Cons Does not yet have a safety rating, but it is based on the Nissan Micra which is below par Boring exterior and interior No cruise control or reversing sensors on some models Poor auto gearbox makes it difficult to […]

5 Pros The Hyundai Elantra is spacious with a big boot (although rear seat headroom can be a bit tight) 5 out of 5 star safety 5 year warranty Looks good, but the Hyundai i30 looks better Well sorted around corners (although question marks remain about the overall ride) 5 Cons No diesel engine available (unlike the Hyundai i30), although fuel efficiency is not too bad Funny looking dash may not be to everyone’s taste The more expensive models have a worse ride than the cheaper models (due […]

5 Pros The Barina looks good (at least in the hatch version) and is much more appealing than the smaller Holden, the Barina Spark Decent interior space Easy to drive, which is important in town Clever new Mylink system (on the most expensive version) acts a little like a smart phone allowing you to stream music from the internet (although it sounds like a car accident waiting to happen if you ask me) 5 out of 5 star safety 5 Cons […]

5 Pros 5 year warranty 5 out of 5 star safety The Mitsubishi Lancer is old, but it still looks ok Big boot in the sportback version Capped priced servicing 5 Cons Outdated engine is slow and inefficient Outsold in Australia by all its main rivals (Hyundai i30, Toyota Corolla, Mazda 3, Ford Focus and Honda Civic) Difficult to find a good driving position Tight rear headroom Noisy engine Concluding personality type: Class clown: Almost the worst in class, but has some endearing features […]

5 Pros The Subaru XV has bold looks and terrific alloy wheels (something I usually don’t get excited about) Heaps of interior space One of the safest cars in this segment – which is especially notable given that many of the competitors are bigger Rear view camera standard across the range Quite fuel efficient 5 Cons More of a hatch than a SUV Same price as the European badged Skoda Yeti and Volkswagen Tiguan Like most Subaru’s, the interior is pretty boring Slower than Monday […]

Just in case there was any question to what stereotype Nissan was chasing 5 Pros The Nissan Micra is one of the cheapest new cars on the Australian market Good interior room and a decent boot Very tight turning circle, light steering and good visibility make this an excellent city car Surprisingly ok dynamics at speed It looks better than the old model, which is a bit like looking better than your mum… 5 Cons Sub-par 4 out of 5 star safety (but […]

5 Pros The Lexus CT200h is a hybrid, so fuel efficiency is almost unbeatable (unless you buy a diesel…) Interior is beautifully made and designed Decent boot size 4 year warranty and Toyota reliability (like most things from Lexus) It actually looks pretty good, especially compared to the BMW 1 Series 5 Cons Slow, which at times can be frustrating Rear seat is a little tight It only takes premium unleaded, which destroys a big chunk of savings from the good fuel efficiency No […]

5 Pros Boot space: The Skoda Rapid is best in class (which is small cars) and bigger than many large family cars Fuel efficiency: Class leading Interior space: Pretty good for this segment Value: Although pricing has not been released for Australia, overseas it is selling at a lower price than the Hyundai i30 (note though that pricing for Australian Skoda’s have tended to be higher compared to offshore) Badge: European still cooler than Japan 5 Cons Interior quality: One step above […]

I feel this excursion is not going to end well… 5 Pros The Tata Nano is the cheapest new production car in the world. You can buy one in India for about A$3k, which is amazing given it has four doors and a roof Very easy to drive with good interior space 4 year warranty offered by Tata Incredible fuel efficiency Jay Leno has called this car an “instant classic”. I would have to agree – this is a truly groundbreaking […]

5 Pros The new Toyota Corolla almost looks interesting Good interior space, particularly in the rear Legendary Toyota reliability and fixed price servicing Handling is no longer limp 5 out of 5 star safety 5 Cons Far from class leading fuel efficiency Better than the old Corolla, but sill not exciting to drive Some of the instruments look a little cheap and the boot is small Only a 3 year warranty – the Hyundai i30 offers 5 years The older Ford Focus beat it to […]

5 Pros Its a Honda, so expect the Civic to be safe and reliable Great boot space and clever rear seats that fold up to create a new storage area (called “magic seats”) Manual transmission gets a good rap (although it is not the most sporty car out there) The Civic has a clever system which attempts to help you save petrol, making it pretty fuel efficient. Luckily, lead foot whale haters can switch it off. (Update: A diesel version is […]

5 Pros The Hyundai i20 is roomy inside with a decent boot, although it is not as versatile as the Honda Jazz Class leading 5 year warranty New 6 speed manual transmission has brought in decent fuel efficiency (some versions are still pretty poor though) 5 out of 5 star safety across the range (again following a 2012 update) Does not need premium unleaded 5 Cons Bland styling Not particularly sporty or interesting Built in India Yawn Gearshift has been described as “rubbery” […]

Suzuki Alto walking the streets for clients 5 Pros The Suzuki Alto is pretty much the cheapest new car in Australia Tight turning circle Incredible fuel efficiency – but so does a bicycle Doesn’t look horrible Suzuki brand image better the Chinese Cherry 5 Cons Tiny boot and extremely limited space in the rear Incredibly slow – I would rather walk The engine sounds like it is being tortured on the highway 4 star safety rating is ok, but not great Built […]

All dressed up and no where to go? 5 Pros Sharp looks – fashion is clearly the biggest driver here – I guess this is why Holden market the Barina Spark as “short skirtable…” Pretty fuel efficient, although not class leading One of the cheapest cars on the Australian market, but does that make you poor? Fit four adults comfortably (as long as they don’t bring any luggage) Easy enough to drive with a tight turning circle 5 Cons Disappointing safety. You […]

5 Pros Fun to drive – like skinny jeans, the Ford Fiesta will appeal to both men and women Very fuel efficient Tight turning circle Manual transmission is terrific – although the automatic has received mixed reports Fixed price servicing 5 Cons Not as versatile in terms of space as the Honda Jazz (which can apparently carry a tree) Rear seat space is poor and there are some general ergonomic issues like the lack of a reach adjustment wheel Built in Thailand […]

5 Pros Hybrid petrol electric power in funky packaging The Honda CR-Z was the Wheels car of the year 2011 – an interesting choice – but you can understand why given it effectively created a new segment of fun, sporty hybrids 6 speed manual is a peach Very distinctive, well equipped cabin Pretty cheap for a hybrid (starts at A$35k) 5 Cons Does have four seats, but I have not met a human yet that could fit in the back Poor rear visibility […]

5 Pros The Mercedes Benz A Class looks like an expensive hoodie – people will think you are young and loaded The interior is terrific with an awesome iPhone friendly screen and the engines are very fuel efficient Standard safety equipment is extensive: it has 9 airbags; it warns you if you are about to have an accident, it warns you if you are about to fall asleep; it parks itself; it has a rear view camera and it will […]

Skoda Fabia falls down the rabbit hole 5 Pros The Fabia is very similar to the Volkswagen Polo – but built in the Czech Republic not South Africa Big boot and decent rear seat space for the size of vehicle Very fuel efficient – although this is becoming more and more common in this class Good visibility – which is becoming less and less common in this class European badge value – well Eastern European badge value anyway… 5 Cons Poor interior […]

5 Pros The Peugeot 208 is Made in France, which is so much cooler than Made in Japan. I mean really, how lame does Tour de Japon sound 3 cylinder engine is clever and fuel efficient Interior is nice to look at with a clever iPod like touch screen Decent rear head room – although rear leg room is a bit tight Fixed price servicing 5 Cons “Heads up driving position” involves a strange small steering that obscures the instruments – some […]

5 Pros All the same benefits as the normal Volkswagen Golf (found here), but the GTi has an awesome 2.0L engine and seriously well sorted dynamics The GTi adds some cool features such as a flat bottom steering wheel and tartan trim (which looks much better than it sounds) The Edition 35 has even more power – but like the standard GTi, this car is still tame enough to use everyday European sophistication takes away any undesirable boy racer factor Great […]

Almost famous 5 Pros The Kia Rio was Carsguide 2011 car of the year – no doubt that the Rio is a quality choice Designed by an Italian, so it looks very unkorean… Roomy inside with decent rear leg room 5 year warranty. Kia’s are now properly built Cheap, fuel efficient and well appointed 5 Cons Kia is not a desirable brand – you need to put head before heart in this purchase The steering is a bit vague The Rio is […]

WOBUP – obviously German for WHASSUP… 5 Pros The terrific, fuel efficient Volkswagen Up! won World Car of the Year in 2012 It is gender neutral and just about the cheapest European car you can buy The VW is very well equipped for the price and the options are not that expensive The boot is surprisingly large and rear seat room is not bad The VW will apply the brakes automatically if it detects that you will hit the car in front (an […]

Volvo driver unsurprisingly wins world’s worst park 5 Pros The Volvo V40 has been voted as the safest car you can buy. While you might expect this from Volvo, you might not expect it to look so good or to come with free scheduled servicing for 3 years The Volvo has a revolutionary pedestrian airbag system which will deploy if you hit a person at low speed Forget the airbag, the V40 will actually automatically brake to stop you hitting pedestrians in the first place […]

5 Pros The VW Polo GTi has won Motor magazine’s “Bang for your Buck” for the past two years – this is a proper hot hatch Despite its performance, the GTI can actually be very fuel efficient. The Polo is to have your cake and eat it too – or as the Italians say, “to have the barrel full and the wife drunk…” The engine noise is great, but the exhaust is missing that smile inducing burble The 3 rear seats are spacious […]

5 Pros Great dynamics – the Ford Focus has always been a good drive and the new model continues this legacy Nice interior and quality steering wheel Roomy rear seat and boot Pretty fuel efficient The Focus also has a capless refuelling system, seemingly invented for all those interesting people out there who have been complaining about fuel caps… Hugely popular offshore – Ford has sold millions of these cars 5 Cons 1.6L petrol engine is underpowered and will be shown up by […]

Nissan entry into the worlds worst photoshop award 5 Pros The interior is spacy The ride is pretty comfortable Decent boot Now close to competitors in terms of safety with 4 airbags and traction control The Ti version has some decent kit for the price 5 cons Gutless engine – I would rather ride a bike Feels much cheaper than it is. An appropriately priced overseas version of the Tiida was at one stage the cheapest new car available in the US Not very […]